Emily Shorn
by Nmbr27
Summary: A new mutant arrives in the usual fashion: saved from certain death by current members of the team. Between learning to control her powers and a romance with Logan, Emily is fitting in well, but not everything is as it seems. Set right before Cable arch.
1. Chapter 1

Emily Shorn

Chapter 1

--

A new mutant arrives at the institute in the usual fashion: saved from certain death by current members of the team. However, this isn't just any mutant. It's Emily, and her powers were the tipping point in Xavier and Magneto's falling apart. Between learning to control her increasing powers and a rising romance with Logan, Emily is fitting in well. But not everything is as it seems. Set in the Ultimate X-Men universe immediately before the Cable arch.

--

Logan walked down the main hall of the school. He was quiet, using his practiced stealth in a more constructive way than ever: to keep from disturbing the others in their private mourning. At least that's what he was calling it. One of their own flipping out and having to be put in a psychic coma wasn't really something to sneeze at, and it being Kurt, well, that made everyone a little edgy, especially Rogue.

As he passed her room, he tried to listen for her inside. He could smell her scent, but there was barely a noise to confirm her presence. He stopped for a moment, listening as hard as possible. Her heartbeat rang in his ears. It was slow, but not so slow he feared she'd done something stupid. Silently he continued to the elevator.

It was pointless, really, for her to be so hard on herself. She was stronger than Kurt. Logan could tell that. Just because they had both been cut down by Weapon X didn't mean she would freak like he did. Logan grimaced. Come to think of it, _he_ wasn't really the perfect model of the outcome of Weapon X either. As he entered the elevator, he made a silent promise, something he rarely did, and never did lightly. He swore he wouldn't leave the mansion again, not until the girl was feeling better.

The elevator whirled its way down to the basement levels, making much too much noise in Logan's opinion. He stepped out of it as quickly as possible. Any sound at this point just didn't seem right. After a few turns, he entered the briefing room where Xavier sat waiting.

"You wanted to see me?" he asked. Even though he knew Xavier couldn't read his mind, it still made him edgy that the guy could send him messages.

"Yes, Logan," Xavier called. "Please, sit."

He settled in the front row, not his usual place, but seeing as how he was the only one down and probably the only one called, he didn't see a problem doing it this once.

"How are you?" Xavier asked.

"Everything's tense here," he confessed. "I can smell the unease. Nobody's happy about this."

"I didn't ask about everyone," Xavier returned. "I asked about you."

Here it comes, he thought. "I'm fine," he lied.

"Logan, I know you pride your ability to block emotions, but this is a little too much even for you." Xavier shifted slightly, something Logan had discovered meant he wasn't going to let the topic slide.

"Look, I'm just a little worried," he said, trying to play it down. "Rogue's all shut up in her room. Darlin' won't come out for the world."

"She's upset," Xavier replied. "Not only does she have to deal with Kurt's illness, but her powers have returned. She was getting very used to being able to touch again."

Logan scowled slightly. He never liked the Professor talking about others' emotions like that. Describing things in a way that said, I know because I looked. Silently he was grateful that Xavier actually had to ask him how he was.

"I want to help her," he said, "but I don't know how."

"She just needs some time," Xavier told him. "Give her a little while. She'll-" Suddenly he jerked. He cried out, grabbing his head. At his side, an astro image appeared. It was sketchy, like it didn't really have the right feed. The half formed figure ran in place, stumbling at points, but always continuing.

"Xavier," a female voice called. Logan thought he recognized something in it, but it was too scratchy and he had his hands full with the panicking psychic. "Xavier, please help me." The form leaped over an invisible blockade and continued running. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes, yes, I can hear you," Xavier called shakily. "Who are you? Where are you?"

"In the Savage Land," the figure cried. "Please, I don't know how much longer I can keep them back." Just then she screamed, hit by some unknown object, and tumbled to the ground. On impact, her form broke apart and disappeared.

Xavier could barely control the spasms that caught him through what must have been an intense psychic link. When he didn't recover immediately, Logan turned his mind to the upper floors. _Jean_, he called. With their history, he rarely actively sought a psychic link to her, but this was an emergency.

_What is it?_

He heard the reply and then felt that annoying itch at the back of his eyes that meant she was trying to look through them. He let her.

_Oh God._

Logan was partially aware of the summoning she sent to the rest of the team while he tried to keep their Professor upright.

"Charles, can you hear me?" he asked. The man moaned. "Xavier?"

The briefing room doors burst open, and the rest of the X-men rushed in.

"What happened?" Scott called.

Good old Slim, Logan thought, always right on his game. He didn't like the guy much, but he had to give him that. Logan pulled out of his private thoughts as Xavier finally regained his voice.

"Go to the Savage Land," he said hoarsely. His tone rejected any argument. "There is a woman there, running from something. Find her. Save her. Go now." At his last command, everyone raced back out the door. Jean stayed behind.

"Professor, how did you sense her?" she asked. "The Savage Land's too far away, even for you."

Knowing this didn't concern him, Logan rose and headed after the rest of the team. As he crossed the door's threshold, he heard the man's response.

"I don't know, Jean. Just go. Please, just go."

Everyone changed into their uniforms quickly. How they had all gotten so used to latex suits, Logan would never understand, but there they were, assembled in front of the X-Wing, as shiny as ever.

"The Professor's really worried," Jean said as they entered the jet. "We need to get there as fast as possible."

"Can you use your powers to speed things up?" Scott asked. He strapped into the pilot seat. "Storm, give her a hand with air resistance."

The two women nodded, strapping in next to each other. Jean got that look in her eye, the one she got when she was inside someone's head. Logan wondered if it was just her connecting to Storm. If she was connecting with Xavier, too, they might have Cerebro's power on their side. He strapped himself in, tensing for the G's they were about to hit.

They shot off straight out of the gates. The force pressed everyone into their seats, squishing the fabric a good two inches. Mildly Logan wondered if they could keep this speed up the whole way. If they could, it was going to be a miserable ride.


	2. Chapter 2

Emily Shorn

Chapter 2

The ground thudded under her feet. She drained more energy with each step. The fallen trees didn't help. Each one made her jump at least three feet in the air before stumbling across the ground and continuing her run.

But her feet were not the only ones that made the earth sound. Behind her, a lot closer than she liked, four figures raced after. To the left was that disgusting pile of flesh. She had never really met him, but she thought his name might be Blimp or Blob or something. Blob probably. What kind of a name was that anyway? Above him was a slimy little creature called Toad, leaping through the trees. In her opinion, he looked more like a gremlin than a toad, but no one ever listened to her opinion.

Next was that dashing, full of himself illusionist, another one she never really met. Mastermind. How vain was that? And last but certainly not least in number, the Multiplying Man, or something like that. Really, she never could keep their names straight. It didn't matter anyway. All she knew right now was they were closing in, and the only man who may be able to stop them was thousands of miles away.

Her powers rang in her ears. Toad had just shot off a slime ball. She ducked, and the green glob flew over her head. She swore; she was so tired she actually did have to dodge their attacks. That new man, the one with the glowing eye, had drained most of her strength himself. He was strong, but she was stronger, at least a little. Now these clowns were trying to finish the job. Mildly, she wondered if the guy with the glowing eye was lucky enough to get out from under that tree with his legs intact.

Suddenly a sharp pain wrenched across her arm. She looked down in amazement at the long gash there. How didn't I catch that? she thought and turned what was left of her powers towards the illusionist behind her. He cried out, and the forest before her changed. Trees appeared as others disappeared, and she changed her path accordingly as she cursed herself for not noticing the illusion sooner. Luckily she hadn't gotten hit head on.

Then her luck ran out. She broke out of the trees and onto a cliff. She skidded to a stop inches from the cliff's edge and looked down. A long drop and rocks below besides. This was it. Right here. Either they died, or she did.

The four mutants broke the tree line mere breaths later. Seeing her trapped, one of the Multiple Mans smirked and pulled his copies into himself.

"Give it up," he called. "You're wiped out, and even with Longshot down, we still outnumber you."

"Yeah, but you don't out-power me," she snapped. Pulling on the last reserves she'd always kept free for just such an emergency, she sent her power flooding into the four. If this doesn't work, I'm dead, she thought. Her vision was already starting to blur.

Her concentration broke as the roar of a jet blasted onto the scene. She turned to see a huge black form descending behind her.

"Ah hell," Toad cried. "Now we've got them to worry about?"

Three forms stood on top of the jet, holding onto their securing straps. At their center, a man with a strange device over his eyes raised a hand to his temple. "I'll take the ugly one," he said.

Three shots of power roared forward. Mastermind and Multiple Man were enveloped in a fiery wave of telekinesis. Toad shot back into the trees from an optic blast, and the Blob cried out as three lightning bolts slammed into him at once. The jet moved forward, its bottom ladder lowering to reveal another man bracing against the lowest step.

"Come on, girly," he said. "You called us, now get on."

She hesitated a moment. Called them? She called the bald man with the bad back. Who were these clowns? Then she glanced back to her pursuers. The Blob would get up soon. She headed for the jet.

She only made it a couple of feet before her strength completely left her. Her knees gave out, and she tumbled to the ground. The man with the bad haircut raced forward and caught her just before she hit the sharp rocks. Without another word, he lifted her into his arms and raced up the jet's steps.

"Let's go," he called as the door closed behind him.

"Right," a man covered in silver replied. He pulled them up. "Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Storm, get down here."

Oh great, she thought. More idiots with nicknames.

The three dropped down, and the boosters kicked in. They were on the horizon before any of their attackers got to their feet.

The man who held her was saying something, but she couldn't hear. Using her powers at this level had drained all her strength. She cursed her luck as unconsciousness flooded over her.


	3. Chapter 3

Emily Shorn

Chapter 3

When they were a safe distance away from the Savage Land, Logan finally moved from his position on the floor. He shifted the unconscious girl in his arms to get a good look at her face.

"Ah shit," he muttered.

"What?" Scott asked.

"I know her."

Everyone whipped around in their seats.

"You do?" Kitty called.

"Her name's Emily," he replied. "I thought she was dead."

He shifted her gently to a better position, and then went for the medical supplies. He spent the rest of the ride home completely silent, caring for the cut on Emily's arm, and making sure she wasn't jostled by the ride. The others tried to get him to talk, but he ignored them. Keeping Emily alive was much more important at the moment.

The X-wing settled into its docking bay. As the stairs descended, Logan hoisted Emily back into his arms, her wound bandaged carefully.

The girl was slim, surprisingly light. Not that she was a girl, he thought, looking her over as he exited the jet. Life had not been nice to her, maybe even more so than to him. The last time he saw her, she was in a chamber, comatose under so many medications it made him shiver.

Xavier sat waiting for them. Logan figured he would be. Even without it being Emily, the Professor would want to know that their rescue was a success, and Logan didn't doubt Jean had already told him the girl's name. That made things personal.

"Please, Logan, bring her here," Xavier called.

Obediently, he headed for the old man and crouched so he could get a good look at Emily's face.

"She's exhausted," Logan said gently, knowing the Professor's worry, "but it doesn't look like she's really hurt or anything."

With a little annoyance, he noted that Xavier paid no attention to his reassurance, turning instead to inspect the woman himself. He put a hand to her temple, then quickly caught himself and snatched it back. Logan watched him closely as he shook his head.

"I'd almost forgotten," he whispered.

"Professor, who is this?" Bobby asked. "Logan won't tell us anything."

"This is Emily Shorn," Xavier said. "If there's any one thing I regretted in my life, it was not saving her." He sighed deeply. "But this can wait. Logan, if you would please bring her to the upper infirmary, I'd feel much better knowing she is resting comfortably."

Logan nodded. He knew Xavier wouldn't explain things until he got back. After all, this was where it all began. Quietly he headed for the elevator. When he entered, he wondered if the Professor was thinking the same thing he was: waking up in a completely metal, hospital smelling room wouldn't be the best thing for Emily at that point. In any case, he was glad she would wake up in a real bed, surrounded by wide windows and cedar paneled walls and floors. In his opinion, the upstairs infirmary always smelt like a summer cabin on the lake.

When he laid her in what he'd found to be the most comfortable bed, Emily gave out a small moan. He froze in place, hoping she'd remember he just saved her life if she woke up. But she didn't wake. It was just a sleepy protest to all the motion. He settled her in place, tucking in the covers. He tried to be as gentle as possible. God knew she hadn't gotten much of that.

For a long time he simply watched her sleep, thinking. If one of his teammates came in just then he would have denied doing anything but making sure she was breathing, but he was really enveloped in old memories. Seeing her for the first time, learning her story, witnessing the fallout because of her containment. It was the only thing he ever disagreed with Magneto on before coming to the mansion.

Finally he pulled himself out of his thought and headed to find the others. Like always, it wasn't very hard; they had changed out of their uniforms and were grouped in the library, waiting for him. When he entered, he caught their looks. They weren't going to drop this until they were completely satisfied with the explanation. He settled against the wall, a vantage point to observe all of their reactions to what Xavier had to say.

When everything was quiet, Scott cleared his throat. "So what's with this girl? How do you two know her?" he asked.

"It's a rather long story," Xavier told him. "Emily is a very powerful mutant with the ability to disrupt other's powers. Under her control, Quicksilver could slow to the pace of a snail, Juggernaut could trip over his own feet, and Magneto could lose control of even the simplest magnetic material.

"When we first found her, she was on the run with another mutant, a young man named Terry Ram. His abilities were completely out of control. The only way he could keep from flooding everywhere he went was to stay next to Emily. Magneto and I offered them both a place in the Savage Land, and they accepted.

"But Emily's abilities weren't completely developed when she first came to the island. You see, her power didn't end at _lowering_ mutant ability. She also possessed the power to enhance mutant potential. After a few days of being surrounded by hundreds of mutants, her unlocked potential surfaced, and she lost control.

"It took all our strength, but we finally subdued her. The damage was unimaginable. Every mutant within five yards of her gained an uncontrollable spike in power. The entire sector of the city was destroyed with their collective strength. When we finally incapacitated her, all of their abilities went back to normal, but we knew it would happen again. So we made a hard decision.

"We created a chamber that could contain her abilities which were growing every day. I attempted to help her gain control through psychic lessons, but her abilities wouldn't allow me. When I tried to enter her mind, her powers drained mine. I lost all psychic ability for a week each time.

"When Magneto began to push for mutant superiority, he entertained an idea that chilled me to the core. He wanted to use Emily to enhance his power to the point where he could end the whole conflict himself."

"Could she do that?" Storm asked.

"With training, possibly," Xavier replied. "She certainly had huge potential, but to train her meant sacrificing other mutant lives in the backlash of her powers. I pleaded with Magneto to allow me more time to psychically train her, but he became impatient. That was our last argument. When he threatened me, my followers came to my rescue. We were forced to leave Emily behind and flee the island."

His X-men were silent as he touched a hand to his stomach where the metal spike had pierced him straight through, demobilizing him permanently.

Finally, Peter spoke. "What happened to her?" he asked.

"Magneto tried to bring her out of stasis and have her practice in the wilderness with Detonator," Logan cut in. "The explosion reached the city from fifteen miles away. He put her in permanent stasis after that."

"So she's been, like, what? Completely comatose all these years?" Bobby asked. "How'd she get out?"

"I have no idea," Logan returned. "I was sure she'd been killed in the sentinel attack. When Cy and I went to check the place out, I saw the tower she used to be in. It was completely destroyed."

"In any case," Xavier added, "however it happened, she is alive, but if she's gained any control is still a mystery. I want all of you in the lower levels until she wakes up and we have time to talk to her. The shielding down there should protect you from her powers."

The others fidgeted slightly. Logan mentally gave a small smirk. Leave it to Xavier to be bluntly honest. '_Should_ protect you' was not something any of these kids liked to hear. In any case, they listened like they always did and headed for the lower levels.

"Logan, if you would stay, I'd like you to help me monitor her," Xavier told him.

He glanced back. "You sure?" he asked.

"Your powers are the most controlled out of everyone's," the Professor explained. "And your mind is protected from mine. I need your help if she can't control herself."

Slowly Logan nodded. It was unnerving being around the girl. He had wanted to get her out of that prison so many times, yet he never followed through. What stopped him was a puzzle more so even than his past. But it was true that he had more control over his powers than the others, and what was she going to enhance anyhow? Make him a stronger healer?

The two of them headed for the infirmary in silence. Logan could tell Xavier was as unnerved as he was at Emily's sudden reappearance. He tried to think of something to say, but he had never been very good at that, so they didn't speak.

When they reached the infirmary, he opened the door only to spot Emily trying to climb out the window.


	4. Chapter 4

Emily Shorn

Chapter 4

The sun shone in her eyes. That's what woke her up. Then the feel of something soft against her skin unsettled her. When she opened her eyes, she felt sure that blasted Mastermind had captured her. How else could she explain her beautiful surroundings? She couldn't remember ever seeing a place this grand before. True, at some point in her life she had lived in one of the richest cities on the Mediterranean, but since then so much had happened she didn't really trust the memory anymore.

Then she remembered the man, the one in that jet. Had he brought her somewhere? She couldn't be sure. In any case, he wasn't who she had called, so it didn't matter. The bald man, the one called Xavier, he was the one she wanted.

Slowly Emily sat up, wincing at her sore muscles, and pulled back the thick blanket. It took most of her strength to do that, but there was no telling how long she had. She knew that man was a mutant, and, as far as she was concerned, she couldn't trust her own kind. Looking around, she spotted a slightly open window and stumbled to it. She had one foot outside when the door behind her opened.

"What are you doing?" a male voice asked.

Surprised by the sudden disturbance, Emily lost her footing and began to fall. Reassuringly strong hands wrapped around her and pulled her back inside. She breathed heavily from the scare and from the simple effort of staying upright. The arms that held her lowered her to the floor, and she looked up into deep green eyes.

"It's okay," the man said. "You're safe."

She was too weak to argue. Instead, she rested against his chest so she wouldn't fall farther. Then she heard the sound of motorized wheels and looked up again. It was the bald man.

"Xavier," she cried, straightening. She immediately regretted the movement.

"Yes, I'm here, Emily," he said. "The people who rescued you are my students. I sent them to you when I received your message."

So he did have new disciples, she thought. It figured. The question now was, was there another chamber around here somewhere?

The old man must have noticed the way she searched the room and gave her a reassuring smile. "No, we're not going to try to contain your powers," he told her. "It was my greatest regret to leave you there. Forgive me."

She nodded weakly. "I heard you arguing," she muttered. Already the adrenaline began to leave her. Soon she would fall back into exhausted sleep. "Please, I can control it now. You don't have to stop me anymore."

Xavier gave her a sad smile. "Logan," he called softly, "could you help her back to her bed? I fear she is still much too weak."

The man who held her nodded. So that was his name, she thought. Somehow it didn't suit him. As he lifted her and she wrapped her arms around his neck, something in his smell seemed familiar, like he'd been this close before, but her mind was clouded, and she left the thought for later. Gently he helped her pull up the covers and lay down. She was barely aware of the chair he set next to her bed and mildly wondered how long he'd sit there. This thought as well was hard to sustain, and she drifted off to the sound of motorized wheels fading down the hall.


	5. Chapter 5

Emily Shorn

Chapter 5

She looked peaceful when she slept, at least in his opinion. There was something different about her when she wasn't doped up that made her look like an angel, like her crumby life never happened. Logan sat at her bedside for he didn't know how long, just watching her breathe. He'd failed her once. He wasn't going to abandon her now.

As the sun began to set, he began to frown. What was happening? That morning he had been completely consumed with worrying about Rogue and Kurt, his Weapon X family sort to speak, and now all he could think about was a girl he'd never talked to and only seen twice. One of her eyes twitched, and he was pulled out of his thoughts to watch her shift into a dream.

He wondered if her dreams were like his. He hoped not. He hoped her dreams gave her an escape from all that hurt, not reminded her of it. She didn't start jerking in her sleep, so he guessed it was the former.

"Logan?"

He spun around. He had been so wrapped up in watching Emily, he hadn't sensed Peter until the door opened.

"She's asleep?" the man asked.

"Hm," Logan returned. For some reason he didn't trust his voice at the moment.

"The Professor said I could come up. He's still keeping the rest downstairs."

"Makes sense." Logan swore silently. Did his voice just crack?

"Are you okay?" Peter asked.

"Hm." He wasn't opening his mouth again.

Peter waited for a moment, but gave up and headed to Emily's other side. He watched her, studying her the way he used to do when he still had some mafia blood in him.

"She's not going to hurt anyone," Logan mumbled, pressing his nails into the palm of his hand to keep his voice from cracking again. The last thing he wanted was Peter thinking he was losing his edge.

"I know, I know," his friend said. "It is just…neither of you has seen her in over a year and a half. You do not know why the Brotherhood was chasing her or even if she has something against Xavier for abandoning her."

Logan winced slightly. "The Brotherhood obviously wanted her power to break out Magneto," he countered quickly. "And Xavier just saved her life. You think she's going to hold a grudge now?"

He watched with a small amount of regret as Peter backed down. He really hadn't meant to snap. It was just that he felt he had to protect Emily, shelter her in the way no one did the whole time he knew about her.

"I was just being cautious, my friend," Peter returned. "I trust Xavier's judgment and yours as well. I will not say anything else." He faltered for a moment before heading back the way he came. "Tell me if you want me to watch her."

"Thanks," Logan said. He knew he wouldn't ask. Even if for some strange reason he did leave his post, he didn't want anyone else there when she woke up, in part because he didn't know how much control she really had, but mostly because he wanted to be the one she saw first.

Peter closed the door quietly, and Logan could hear his steps fade down the hall. He heard the elevator door open. Peter was going to report to the others. He didn't blame him. They must be wondering. But he felt annoyed anyway.

He took in a deep sigh and let the matter go. Settling back in his chair, he returned to his guard. He pushed the thoughts of confusion out of his head and focused on the slow heartbeat that rang in his ears.


	6. Chapter 6

Emily Shorn

Chapter 6

It was late when she woke. The moon shone through a window on the far side of the room, lighting the area but not enough to offend the senses. Again for a moment she wondered where she was, but then she saw the sleeping figure next to her bed, the man who smelt like musk and motor oil. She seemed to remember a cigar smell that should have gone along with that, but she couldn't really be sure.

Xavier called him Logan. That didn't fit for some reason. She lay perfectly still, studying his face and breathing in his scent, trying to figure it out. Then she remembered. Wolverine. That's why Logan didn't sound right. He had been called Wolverine before.

When she was in the Savage Land, in that chamber, she drifted in and out of consciousness. At some points she could hear and smell everything perfectly. One time she heard Xavier and Magneto arguing over possibly waking her up. Another time someone smelling like musk, cigars, and motor oil came into the room. Magneto greeted him as Wolverine. They argued, too. Then Wolverine left.

He came back a few hours later and held her hand. He didn't say anything, just held her hand. The smell stayed in her nose for a long time, and then even longer in her mind. There was something at the base of it that made her want the smell to linger. She hated cigars, and wasn't too fond of the other scents either, but something in the combination comforted her. Maybe it was just that he actually touched her that made the smell welcome.

She didn't remember him coming in again, but she heard his name once or twice. Slowly she ran a finger over the welt on the inside of her wrist. It was shaped slightly, but not so much anyone would ask about it. The thing made her skin crawl.

The sound of the moving sheets must have woken him, because just then the Wolverine opened his eyes. He caught hers and held them until she was sure she was going to cry. The look he gave her said everything. _I'm sorry this happened. You didn't deserve what they did to you. It'll never happen again, I promise. I'll protect you._

It hurt to see it, hurt to think that he had no idea who she was and yet wanted to keep her safe.

"Hey," he said softly.

She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Are you strong enough to talk?" he added just as quietly.

Slowly she nodded. "I feel better," she muttered. "What time is it?"

He glanced up to one wall. When she followed his gaze, she spotted a large clock and swore at the stupid question, but he turned back to her. "Twelve forty," he said as if he didn't notice the look in her eyes. "Are you hungry?"

"A little," she whispered. "I haven't eaten much lately."

"I'll get you something." He began to rise.

Instinctively her hand snapped out to grasp his arm. "No," she said a little quickly. Then she took a deep breath. "I mean, could you stay? I'm not that hungry anyway."

He gave a small smirk. "It's okay. The kitchen's just down the hall. I'll be back in a second, I promise."

She grimaced. Had it been that obvious? Of course it had. She had grabbed his arm for crying out loud. Nothing scared her more right now than to be in this new place all alone. Quickly she thought of some way to cover her action.

"I can get it myself," she said. "Really. I want to get up."

The man nodded, eyes saying he understood exactly what she meant. "Okay. I'll help you." He pulled her covers back and helped her to her feet. The two of them walked slowly out of the room and into the hallway.

By the time they got to the kitchen, Emily felt a bit tired, but the bright lights and warm surroundings comforted her. She didn't know how long it was since she had been consistently warm. The man headed for the frig.

"Do you like pizza? There's some left over from last night." He sniffed slightly and frowned. "Maybe not. I think someone left it on the counter for a while." He took the box out and tossed it in the garbage.

As he returned to his search, she cautiously reached out a small amount of power to him. Yes, she could feel the enhanced senses. She relaxed a little more. Anything he gave her wouldn't be spoiled.

"Some fruit?" he asked, turning. "It's ripe."

"Sure," she said and received an apple. It was shiny, in her opinion, a lot better than the crumby stuff that fell out of the huge trees back on the island. It was sweet, too. Slowly she ate, making sure not to stuff herself. Her stomach had been empty for a long time, too long to try to fill it all at once.

The man watched her. She couldn't look in his eyes. Every time she got a glimpse of them hers started to moisten. She wanted to ask how he did that.

"You were on the island," she said instead.

He nodded. "Before I joined up with Xavier," he replied.

"You came into my room."

This made him grimace. Was that regret she saw? "Yeah," he said. "I, ah, wanted Magneto to let you wake up. He wouldn't."

She nodded gently. "I heard."

"You did?"

Now concern filled his eyes. Had she not remembered everything? No, it wasn't a look of shame, just concern.

"You came back," she said.

A weak smile crossed his face. "Yeah."

They sat in silence for a while. She slowly worked over the piece of apple in her mouth, thinking. After a moment, his ears perked and she knew someone else was up. Automatically she gripped the apple tighter.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"Just Peter," he replied. "He's a good guy. You don't have to worry."

After a few moments, a tall man with black hair and thick muscles appeared at the door. One look at him and she knew he'd had his share of a rough life. Peter glanced at her and she got the distinct impression that he was calculating the risk involved in entering the room.

"Couldn't sleep?" Logan asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

The new man pulled his eyes from Emily to look at his friend. "No. I thought I heard something," he said. Meekly he motioned to the two of them. "I guess I heard correctly."

She studied him as he settled down at Logan's side. Mustering up a bit more courage, she reached out her powers again. He was strong. Very strong. And something about his skin seemed to be in flux. A little more power, and she saw that the outer layer of his skin could shift into a steel like material. He was dangerous in his mutant form, but it was simple enough to switch off a power like that.

Quickly she pulled back her power as a line of organic steel striped down the young man's arm. He snatched his hand from the counter, backing up slightly. As soon as she shut down all of her power again, his skin reverted, and he was fine. He studied his arm for a moment before giving Logan a wary look and settling in his seat again.


	7. Chapter 7

Emily Shorn

Chapter 7

Logan paced outside Xavier's office. He didn't like how long the door had been shut, and he certainly didn't appreciate the fact that the office was sound proof. He'd heard through sound proof rooms before, but none of them were like this one.

The hall shone with the late morning sun. The night before, after her snack, Logan brought Emily back to her bed and she slept the rest of the night. Now Xavier was talking to her. She seemed all right. Besides the gash on her arm still wrapped in its bandage, she didn't have any other physical injuries. She was basically rested, but still…

Still what? one side of his mind shrieked. She's fine. Xavier will offer her a place here, she'll refuse because, well, because she's a loner, and that'll be the end. Why should he care? Well, he did, and that was what frustrated him.

Suddenly the door opened, just as he was making another pass infront of it, and he met face to face with the source of his frustration. She caught something in his eyes and it seemed to confuse her, but she didn't say anything. That look of hers really could be annoying. Xavier came up on her side.

"Logan, Emily has accepted to join the school," he said. "Could you find her a room? I'm going to talk to the others." Without another word he left.

It took a breath before Logan could close his mouth. Then the two watched their Professor disappear down the hall. When he turned the corner, Emily glanced at her last companion.

"Come on, there's a few good rooms on the second floor," he said and led the way upstairs.

By the time they got to the landing, his whole body felt tense. She hadn't said a single word. He searched for something to break the silence, something that wouldn't sound stupid. Finding nothing, he led her to one of the nicer rooms. When he opened the door, he heard her breathe in sharply and turned, wide eyed, to see her staring at the room as if it was the most amazing thing she'd ever seen.

"I'm going to stay here?" she asked, stepping into the room gently.

"If you want to," Logan replied. "There's a few more down the hall."

"Where's your room?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Closer to the east wing," he said. He felt touched to see her look of disappointment. "There's an empty room next to it, if you'd rather sleep there," he offered.

She turned away, trying to mask it by examining the bed cover. "Sure," she said lightly. "I mean, it doesn't really matter, but if it's an east facing room, it'd be nice to see the sun rise."

Logan smirked, knowing it was just an excuse. "Come on, I'll show you."

The two of them walked down the hall, stopping at the door before his. He opened this one as well and let her step inside. She stared at everything until finally halting at the mirror. For a long moment, she didn't move.

"Are you okay?" Logan asked.

She jerked slightly but didn't turn from her reflection. "Yeah, fine," she said. "I just haven't seen myself in awhile." She smiled weakly through the glass at him. "It's a nice room."

He watched her as she turned to look out the window, worried slightly at her actions. "Hey, did you seriously agree to join up here?" he asked.

She turned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I just thought you wouldn't want to," he said, running his hand along the back of his neck. "You seem like a loner to me."

"Aren't you?" she asked.

Now he really felt like an idiot. "Well, I suppose. I've left a couple times. I just kind of settled into the place after awhile."

She paused for a moment. "What's so special about these people to make a guy like you settle down?" she asked.

He couldn't think of anything to say, barely keeping himself from stuttering. She watched him, calmly, until he finally got himself under control.

"They're good people," he said. "Xavier, he's really going to change the world." He was sounding like a poster boy now. Thankfully, Peter appeared at the door, giving him an excuse to shut up.

"Xavier wants to see you," the man said.

Logan frowned. "He does?" Not that he wasn't glad the Professor stayed out of his head for once, but why make Peter be an errand boy? Then Peter glanced to the room's third inhabitant and he understood. Xavier was afraid of setting off Emily's abilities by sending a psychic call.

"We'll be right there," he said.

Peter disappeared down the hall, and Logan turned back to Emily. "You ready?" he asked.

"I guess."


	8. Chapter 8

Emily Shorn

Chapter 8

It was the most daunting thing she'd ever seen. Eight of the most powerful mutants on the planet sitting in a semicircle before her. Two of them she already knew, the Russian, Peter; and Xavier, the reason she was here at all. The others were new to her, mere children, she thought. True, she wasn't more than twenty three herself, but none of them seemed to truly grasp what the real world was like, or its dangers.

The woman on the far left had lost someone, she knew that. Her eyes had that hole in them, a vacuum that could only be left by a lost love, but the spot was mending, so the love had to have been controlled to some degree. The girl at this one's side was morning something as well. What, Emily had no idea, but something. Next was a boy with nothing in his eyes but yearning to comfort the second.

At the center of the group sat Xavier, his look showing he was mentally checking on everyone to make sure nothing was going to go wrong. To his left, Peter. To his right, a small spirited girl with eyes that cared more about some teen magazine than greeting a new teammate. To her right, a man in sunglasses. Inwardly Emily scowled at him. Besides that he took his life too seriously, she couldn't tell anything about him without seeing his eyes.

The last of the number was a fiery red head, one that – ah. She couldn't even look at her. She had a small moment of panic, hoping that her powers would never react to what was inside that girl.

"Emily, I'd like you to meet the rest of my students," Xavier said as she made her silent observations. He named them off in order. "This is Ororo, Rogue, Bobby, Peter, Kitty, Scott, and Jean."

They all smiled, nodding to her. She returned the nod, but not the smile. She wasn't sure yet how she liked these people, and being around this many mutants at once made it hard to keep her powers in check.

"Everyone, this is Emily." He said it in a voice that indicated they already knew something about her. That was fine. She would find out everything about them soon enough.

"So, you've joined the school?" the one he called Scott asked.

She nodded, trying to read him without using her powers. If her ability shifted to him, it might catch the woman at his side.

"Are you thinking of joining the team?"

His next question caught her off guard. Team? As in 'the X-men?' As in 'we save the world that hates and fears us?' Outwardly she shrugged. Inward she screamed, why the hell would I want to save humans? Not even the mutants like me.

The one called Ororo caught onto her stress. "Being an x-man isn't required to live here," she said. "Everyone's welcome to the protection the mansion offers."

She'd have to watch that one. "I'll think about it," she replied. Her head was starting to hurt. "Um, could I lie down for a while? I'm not really one hundred percent yet."

"Of course," Xavier told her. "I believe Logan has already shown you your room. Whenever you're ready, you can come back down. Today's Sunday, so there aren't any classes. Everyone's free to do what they want."

She raised a mental eyebrow at the last sentence, but nodded her appreciation and turned. At a small uncertain step, Logan steadied her, and then helped her back up the stairs and into her room. When she settled down on the bed, he moved to leave. She stopped him.

"Do you really believe in all of this?" she asked.

"What? The school?" He shrugged. "Yeah. I guess so. I mean, it's a lot better than the bull Magneto was shouting back when."

"The what?" she asked, eyes wide. What in the world did he mean by that?

"Well, where Magneto said we could never get along, Xavier says we need to work to understand," he said, settling at her side. "And he's doing it. All the way from the sentinels till now, he's been communicating with the government on equality for mutants. It's working, and it's a lot better than a blood bath."

She frowned. Her entire life after becoming a mutant was a blood bath, just one person trying to kill or being killed by another, and half the time over her. What else was there?

"Look, you seem really tired. Why don't you get some sleep?" he asked, rising.

"No, I'm fine," she returned. When he frowned, she continued. "I get tired when I'm around a lot of mutants. That's all. I'll be completely fine in a few seconds."

He smiled, settling back down. He seemed to be searching for something to say.

She gave him a look through her eyelashes. "Xavier said the students can do anything they want to on Sundays?" she asked.


	9. Chapter 9

Emily Shorn

Chapter 9

When she said 'anything,' he had expected a very specific outcome. That wasn't driving out to a bar to play pool. Not that he minded pool. It was a good game, and having a close access to liquor wasn't bad either. But still…

"Have you ever played before?" he asked, watching her look over the pool cues like they were decorations.

"Of course I have," she returned with a little snap.

He breathed in sharply. Had he offended her? Then he saw the look in her eyes and smiled. She was good at carrying a joke. He had actually believed her until she dropped her guard.

"You haven't, have you?" he teased.

"I used to play-" She cut off. After a moment she continued. "I used to play with my father." Then she regained the smile. "When I was eight."

"What happened to him?" Not that he was nosy, he hated nosy people, but she looked like she needed to say something.

"He's dead," she stated, finally picking a cue and turning to the pool table, "along with everyone else I knew." She mimicked a practice shot and then stood straight. "So can I start?"

"Do you need help?" he asked. If she didn't want to talk about her past, he wasn't going to push it.

"I can do it," she said and took her aim.

Logan bit his tongue to keep from laughing. She held the cue as close to the back end as possible, standing about two feet from the table. Granted when she shot the ball did hit the rack, but only one other broke from the formation.

"Here," he said, still holding his mouth tight to suppress any laughter. "Let me show you." He took his aim, leaning on the table slightly and balancing the cue at its center. "You've got to hold it like this and then strike." He did, but the result was even more miserable than hers. He stared at the still unbroken rack. How the hell did that happen?

Then he heard her chuckle softly. When he looked at her, she had a look that said she knew exactly what happened.

"Cheatin's not nice, girly," he commented.

"No, but it is fun," she replied. He could feel her release her hold on his strength.

He rolled his eyes. "Let me teach you. Then neither of us will look like it's our first time in a bar."


	10. Chapter 10

Emily Shorn

Chapter 10

She hadn't really intended to have that much fun. She just wanted to get away from the others. So many powerful mutants in one place. Since she woke up in the destroyed city, half trapped under the very chamber which before kept her asleep, she hadn't encountered another mutant, let alone nine, for a year. Not until those four idiots whose actions landed her here. Even then she hadn't been trying to control her powers. She had tried to suppress their abilities, and that seemed to keep her second mutation from acting up. Maybe she should try slowing Logan's healing or Rogue's absorption or something. Then she wouldn't be so scared of spiking them.

As she returned to her room, she stopped just inside the door and listened to Logan's retreating footsteps and then his door clicking closed. He hadn't made a move on her while teaching her to play pool. That was rather cute. The Wolverine not making a move? What had this place done to him? She was trying to decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing when her stomach growled. I suppose I can find something myself, she thought and headed downstairs.

Bobby and Rogue were in the living room, playing some strange game that involved a TV and two small controllers. Judging from their shouting, it was a very heated competition.

She found the kitchen empty, which made her glad. The frig offered nothing interesting, so she turned to the cupboards.

"There's a whole stack of Pringles in the lower left drawer."

She jumped at the voice. She hadn't expected Scott to speak to her, or get so close.

"Oh, sorry. Are you okay?" he asked, moving closer.

Quickly she rose and stepped back. The kitchen was too small to get farther away than her accustomed power range, but it was better than being barely a yard from him.

"I'm fine," she said, rubbing the back of her head. "You said Pringles?"

"Yeah." He moved forward. She moved back and he stopped, his brows pulling together. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said softly.

"I wasn't doing it for my protection," she returned. For the twelfth time she wished she could see his eyes. She wanted to know what he was thinking.

"You're afraid your powers will react with mine," he stated. "You know, we can help you with that."

"How?" She seriously doubted he could.

"Come on. I'll show you." He headed out of the kitchen.

Why did everyone keep saying that? Sighing slightly at the lack of food, she followed.

He led her to an elevator, and she stopped cold. When the door opened, he paused as well, seeming to realize the problem.

"I'll go down first," he said. "When the elevator comes back up, just hit B1, okay?"

She nodded. These people were very perceptive. It was a little annoying, actually, but she was glad he hadn't tried to make her stand in an enclosed space next to him. The elevator closed and whirled down to the basement levels. It returned a moment later and she stepped inside.

When she came out again, she had a horrible sense of de javo. Metal walls, metal floor, and a layout accustomed to a military base. This was not fun.

"It's all right," he said, motioning to one of the doors. "Wait here for a second. I'll be right back."

He didn't open the door for her before he left, so she didn't try to open it herself. The last thing she needed at the moment was getting bulldozed by some booby trapped door. After a moment, Scott returned in the suit she first saw him in, though she hadn't really paid much attention to the man's apparel at the time. He placed his palm on the panel next to the door, and it opened.

The room they stepped into was huge. Mildly she wondered how far down they were to get a room this size below ground. He ushered her inside, and the door closed with a hiss.

"This is the Danger Room," he explained. "It's guarded inside and out. No powers can penetrate the walls, so practicing in here is safe."

They walked to the center of the room as he spoke and stopped, Emily careful to keep at least two yards of open space between them. Then Scott glanced back to her.

"So what were you afraid of?" he asked.

"Making your powers go out of control," she replied. Really, for someone who had just acted like he knew everything, he shouldn't have had to ask.

He made a small motion with one hand. "Well, then, try," he said and stood waiting.

"Try?" she asked. "You actually want me to try to destroy this place with your powers?" This guy was crazier than she thought.

"I already told you," he said. "This room is protected. There's a layer in the walls that repels my optic blasts. It won't hurt anything outside the Danger Room."

Great, she was only going to get _him_ killed then. A quick inspection of his power reminded her that he couldn't be hurt by his own blasts at normal strength, so it should hold for higher. Mentally she sighed and turned her full stare on him.

It only took a second to find where the man's power resided. Then it was a simple matter of letting the yearning inside of her out and…

Scott screamed. Red light burst from the edges of his visor, and then the whole thing ripped clear off his face. Red light engulfed the room. When it struck the wall, the whole place shook.

Immediately she dropped the connection. Only then could he close his eyes. He stumbled to the ground, covering his eyes with both hands. She could feel it, the pain. This was what she feared. This was why she wanted to leave. She didn't want to hurt people that way. She bolted.

Just as she reached the doors, they opened, and Logan stepped in. He was breathing hard, eyes searching for some attacker. But when he saw Emily's look and Scott kneeling at the room's center, he seemed to gather what happened.

"It's okay," he told her, holding out a hand. She took it, never wanting to let go, and rushed into his arms. "Scott, are you all right?" he called.

What does he care about the little idiot? she thought.

"I…I just…oh God," Scott stuttered. "Did I break a hole through the ceiling?"

Logan glanced up. The dampeners worked, but just barely. Half the ceiling was now oblong.

"Everything's fine," Logan told him as the sound of running feet pounded down the hall.

Great, Emily thought. Just what I need.

Jean, Kitty, and Ororo appeared at the door, Jean's eyes more fierce than Logan's had been. How that was possible, Emily didn't know, but the girl looked about ready to kill every person she saw.

"What was that?" she shrieked.

"It was my fault," Scott stuttered, trying to rise. "I pushed her too fast." He stumbled and dropped back to his knees.

Jean turned her glare to Emily, and she stepped back. This was one mutant she seriously had to stay away from.

"Leave her alone, Jean," Logan snapped.

She couldn't take it any more. Emily broke from his hold and rushed out of the room. It took her a while to remember where that blasted elevator was, but when she did she collapsed inside and let it take her away from the X-men and their fallen comrade.


	11. Chapter 11

Emily Shorn

Chapter 11

"Scott?" Logan called, listening as the elevator rolled away. He had never seen Slim like this before. "Cy." He wasn't getting an answer.

Jean rushed forward. "Scott, please, talk to us," she called. She crouched and wrapped her arms around him.

Logan stayed back as Ororo and Kitty headed forward as well. He was still angry at Jean for shrieking in his head like that. Sure, she sensed Scott's distress, but that didn't give her the right to try to push Logan's thoughts into a frenzy.

The guy's moan broke Logan's anger, and he finally headed forward. When he reached them, Jean was handing Scott his visor. It had a crack along the side, but it was still usable, at least for now.

"It was my fault," Scott stuttered. "Don't be mad at her."

"She made you lose control," Jean protested.

"I never had control," Scott returned. "What she did was make me stronger. I've never felt anything like that. It didn't end at my powers either. I could hear the air moving, Jean. I could smell the sweat on my own skin."

Welcome to my world, Logan thought. But this was about Scott, not him, so he kept his mouth shut. It didn't matter. Jean glared at him anyway.

"Can you stand?" she asked Scott.

He nodded weakly and she and Logan helped him to his feet. As they started to head for the door, Xavier entered.

"What possessed you to do something like that?" he snapped at his prized pupil. "Exercising her powers without my watch? You're lucky you didn't destroy the whole school." He was fuming. Logan hadn't seen that look much. When he did, it actually made him nervous.

"I was just-" Scott began.

"Never do that again," Xavier snapped. "You don't know what her powers are capable of, Scott. You have no idea what can happen when she loses control. I want to help her even more than you do, but there needs to be regulation for something like this."

The room was starting to get very tense, so Logan quietly exited. The girl had gone upstairs. He followed and found her outside. She was rubbing one hand over the other wrist, and for a moment he thought she might be in trouble. But he didn't smell any blood, so he didn't say anything.

"Hey," he called.

She spun around to face him. Her cheeks were streaked with tears. Her whole form quivered. He wanted nothing more than to keep her from ever feeling that way again.

"Is he okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, he's going to be fine. Scott's a strong guy." Did he actually just compliment Slim? Oh well, he guessed it was true.

She seemed to catch the look in his eye. "You don't like him," she stated.

"Well, that's not exactly true," he returned. "We have our differences, but he's a good leader. He makes sure everyone is at their best."

"Everyone?" she returned.

He smirked. She did have a point there. "Well, he trusts me to be at my best," he amended.

She gave a small sniff. "I really didn't mean to hurt him," she said. She rubbed her wrist again, eyes lost. He wondered if that was a nervous twitch.

"I know you didn't," he returned. He wrapped an arm around her, hoping to get her to stop crying. It made him feel like joining her, and that was just plain embarrassing. When was the last time he cried? He couldn't really remember ever crying, but this girl's tears ripped his heart out.

She placed a hand on his chest. "Why do I know you'll protect me?" she whispered.

He closed his eyes, gripping her tighter. "Because it's true," he whispered back.

His nose suddenly filled with a rush of pheromones. How hadn't he caught that before? The smell coming off of her was almost too powerful to bare, the desire. All he could do was respond.


	12. Chapter 12

Emily Shorn

Chapter 12

It was all too easy. All she had to do was extend his power level by the tiniest percent. She knew how drawing a woman's scent was to him. She knew he could smell her already. She knew all he needed was one more push. She did not know, however, that Wolverine described more than his fighting style.

The sun began its rise before they finally broke apart. She was breathing hard. He was too. Silently she slipped away, back to her own room. The experience rang in her mind and she wondered if he realized he had been her first.

She closed her door quietly behind her. For a very long time all she could do was breathe. Her pulse raced. When it finally quieted, she leaned her head against the door and closed her eyes. God, she could get used to that.

When she opened her eyes again, she caught her reflection in the mirror. It was then that she remembered why she was there, and her spirits plummeted. She dropped to the bed, tear struck again, her strength gone from the night and the thoughts now shouting in her head.

It had been a simple idea at first. She didn't care, really, what happened to them. But now. Logan's image appeared in her mind. A man like that, one who had been tortured for so long, had stayed with these people. He was an assassin, and yet he followed a man spouting peace. She knew Xavier couldn't push Logan's thoughts like that, so why was he still here?

And the other man, Scott. He could blast his way out of anything. He should be resentful of the world. He wasn't, not as far as she could see. It was the same with his teammates, teenagers thrown from society who turned around and defended it. What could possibly make them do that?

It didn't matter though. She needed to see this through. Slowly she rose.

The others were still asleep. She knew that. She could feel their powers shifting slightly with their dreams. Logan was sleeping too, she saw to that herself with the night they just shared and the slow drane she place throughout the whole experience.

Xavier was the only one awake. As far as she could tell, he was in his library. She headed for it. When she got there, she found him reading quietly. His cat lay sleeping on his lap. He glanced up as she entered.

"Emily," he greeted her. "You're up early."

She was slightly annoyed that he played dumb like that. She knew perfectly well he had sensed them. "I like the morning," she said instead.

"It is peaceful," he agreed.

Not for long, she thought. Her neck was soar. She rubbed it.

"I'm sorry about what happened in the Danger Room," he said. "Scott can get a little over enthusiastic sometimes. I hope he didn't scare you too badly."

"No, I should be apologizing," she returned. God, she should be.

"It's all right. You didn't mean to."

She didn't mean any of it. Slowly she walked forward. She had practiced this in her mind a hundred times, and yet she could barely move.

Xavier couldn't get in her head, but he was a perceptive man, just like his students. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

Her hand ached. She rubbed it. "I'm fine," she said. Suddenly, she felt it. A rise of power upstairs. Shit, she thought seconds before Logan burst into the room. He had caught the change in her scent.

"Logan, what happened?" Xavier called.

He just stared at Emily. She couldn't take that look. That _I can't believe I didn't see this_, look. The, _you're a bigger lowlife than I am_, look. It didn't matter. It was over. Forcefully she threw her power at him. He dropped like a fly.

"Logan," Xavier shouted. He turned, wide eyed to the woman before him. "What are you…oh God." He grabbed his head.

She knew what it felt like. She could feel it in him right there. For a man who had top level telepathy all his adult life, silence was the most terrifying thing in the world.

"What are you doing?" Logan stuttered.

Emily gritted her teeth. "The Brotherhood gives their regards," she forced herself to say. It was the only thing she could get out.

"You've come to assassinate him," Logan shouted.

She was surprised he could speak. "Yes."

"You think you can?" he asked.

She knew he had called the others. They rushed from their rooms, but it wouldn't help them. The second they got in range, which was on the other side of the door, they would lose control of their powers.

"My abilities don't end at changing a mutant's power level," she told him. "I can also influence how they use them." She turned more strength on the Professor. "Like boosting his small amount of telekinesis and training it on the door." It slammed closed.

Seconds after she finished the move, the door boomed with Peter's punch. He lost his powers a second before impact, and his strike sprained his wrist. The others threw their weight into the door as well, but it was no use. They'd never get through.

"Why?" Xavier stuttered. He was trying to sit up straight. He couldn't, obviously, but he was trying. "Why do this?"

"Magneto's ordered a hit," she explained. "And I'm the only one who can carry it out." A tear hit her cheek.

"You were working with them the whole time," Logan snarled. She knew he couldn't see straight, but he was glaring at her anyway.

"The chase was for your benefit," she replied. He was trying to get up. Shit, that guy was strong. The weight of his own metal should have kept him down.

"Stay down, Logan," she told him. "If I cancel your healing ability completely, your adamantium will kill you." It should have already, but she wasn't about to say that.

"Girly, you'll die before I do." He let out a shout and his claws extended. Blood flowed from the wounds. With a final push of strength he rushed forward.

It was no use. One twist to his power and…

He collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain.

"Don't do this, Emily," Xavier called to her. He was breathing heavily. Her drain on his abilities taxed his body.

"I have to."

"What happened to the girl I rescued from the mob in Africa?" he asked. "What happened to her?"

"She grew up," she snapped. Her concentration was wavering. Why did he have to bring that up? God, this was hard enough already.

"Don't do it," Logan stuttered. "Xavier's going to save this world."

"Magneto will," she snapped back. The only way she could keep him down was to get angry. Quickly she slipped the kitchen knife out of her pocket. She had to do this before they completely broke her concentration. That telekinetic outside was fighting hard.

"No. I used to think so too," Logan told her. "I was in the same place you are. I know how it feels. You're mad. You think the world hates you and the only way to get peace is to kill them."

"You don't know anything," she shrieked. How dare he? How dare he even suggest that?

"Then what is it?" he asked. His hands were still bleeding, but she couldn't let him heal. He was the Wolverine. If she gave him even a second's chance he'd kill her. "You tell me, girly. Tell me why you're about to kill the greatest man of this generation."

"Because I have to," she shouted. She had put it off for far too long. She was strong, but not even she could hold the entire X-men team down forever.

"Why?" he pressed.

"Because they'll kill Terry," she shrieked. There. She said it. That was why she came. That was why Forge put the dampener in her wrist, so she could control her powers enough to walk with the X-men. That was Magneto's leverage, and she wasn't about to let him win.

"Terry?" Xavier stuttered.

Hm. She thought he'd passed out already.

"We can help you," Logan muttered. "We can free him."

"Why should I gamble that?" she called. "Why should I gamble it when it'll all be over in a second?"

"Because Xavier's the one guy who'll stand up against Magneto," Logan whispered. His loss of blood was weighing on him finally. "Because he's your only hope."

He finally shut up, too weak to even lift his head, but his eyes were still on her. She gritted her teeth. How could she kill him now? She had to. But with what Logan said…no, Terry was like her brother. She saved him once. She could do it again. But Xavier had saved her. He saved Terry once. That didn't matter. But maybe it did.

Her mind spun with a thousand shouting voices. It was too much. She yelled and flung the knife in her hand. It hit the wall to Xavier's left, piercing one book straight through. She collapsed, releasing all her power, and covered her face with her hands.

What had she done? Terry was going to die, and it was all her fault.


	13. Chapter 13

Emily Shorn

Chapter 13

He couldn't move. Even with his healing factor coming back, he had still taken a huge hit when she stripped him of his powers. His claws slipped back beneath his skin, and the wounds slowly closed. The doors behind him burst open, and the whole team rushed in. Rogue was bare armed, Scott was about to take off his visor, and Jean had so much telekinetic fire around her it was hard to see her face.

"Don't," Xavier whispered. He was going to fall out of his chair soon. Unlike Logan, he'd be out for a while.

No one heard. They all focused on Emily. She was crying silently, her face hidden. He could tell she just wanted everything to be over, just fade away. That's why she didn't run. That's why she stayed in the same room with six mutants who wanted to kill her.

In one huge wave, energy surrounded her. An optic blast, an ice column, a lightning bolt, and a raging storm of telekinetic power. When they all finally dropped off the attack, Emily was across the room, her limp body flung along the ground.

"No," Logan shrieked. He had finally gotten his voice back. Too late. He forced himself to his knees then collapsed. Ororo tried to help him, but he pushed her away.

"She just tried to kill you," Scott shrieked.

"They have her friend hostage," Xavier returned. Everyone stared at him. He was starting to fall. Peter caught him and helped lower him to the ground. He couldn't sit upright at the moment. "She needed our help."

"Needed?" Kitty asked. "Like past tense?"

"Oh God," Rogue muttered. She walked to the fallen body and stooped over it. "Ah…Ah think you killed her."

Everyone stared in horror.

"No, we didn't use that much power," Bobby whispered.

"You did," Xavier muttered. He was weak, much too weak to talk coherently. Logan took over.

"She wanted it to be over," he said.

He watched their reactions grimly. Bobby was trying hard not to cry. He had never killed anyone before. Logan had hoped he never would. Ororo was still on edge from the last time she blew up a helicopter with her abilities. He thought she was doing better. This was going to crush her.

Jean's face was a pale sort of green. He knew what she was thinking. The Phoenix. That thought would never leave her mind again. And Slim… Scott was going to beat himself for this for the rest of his life.

Slowly Logan rose. It would take twice as long to heal if he kept this up, but he needed to. Everyone watched in silence as he approached the body. Slowly he pulled her into his arms.

Emily was a slim girl, surprisingly light. That had helped in her death. Not that she was a girl. Life had not been nice to her, maybe even more so than to him. Probably more so, he thought, and gently closed her eyes.


End file.
